himself. The spoil, moreover, did not benefit him in the least. It
went into the coffers of the Government, or the pockets of the
soldiers, not into his. So little reward did he receive that Gordon
intended at first to give him L1000 out of his own pocket, and
eventually found himself able to increase it to a sum of L2000 out of
the Soudan exchequer.

But Suleiman was still at large, and the slave-dealers were fully
determined to preserve their profitable monopoly, if by any means they
could baffle the Government. The Egyptian officials were also inclined
to assist their efforts, and while Gessi was recovering his strength,
he had the mortification of seeing the fruits of his earlier success
lost by the inaction or more culpable proceedings of his lieutenants.
It was not until July 1879 that Gessi felt able to take the field in
person, and then with less than 300 men, while Suleiman's band alone
numbered 900. But there was no time to wait for reinforcements if
Suleiman, who had advanced to within a short distance of Gessi's camp,
was to be captured. Owing to the promptitude of his measures, Gessi
came up with Suleiman in three days' time at the village of Gara,
which he reached at daybreak on 16th of July. His measures were prompt
and decisive. Concealing his troops in a wood, so that the smallness
of their numbers might not be detected, he sent in a summons to
Suleiman to surrender within ten minutes. Surprised, and ignorant of
the strength of the Egyptian force, he and his followers agreed to lay
down their arms: but when Suleiman saw the mere handful of men to whom
he had yielded, he burst out crying. The situation suggested to him
the hope of escape. Gessi learnt that when night came Suleiman and his
men had arranged to break their way through. He therefore resolved to
anticipate them. He held in his hands the ringleaders of the
rebellion. If they escaped, all his work was lost; a summary act of
justice would conclude the affair, and secure the Government against
fresh attacks for a long time. To use his own words, Gessi "saw that
the time had come to have done with these people once for all."

He divided the captives into three bands. The first, composed of the
black soldiers, little better than slaves, he released on the
condition that they left at once and promised to settle down to a
peaceful life. This they agreed to joyfully. Having got rid of these,
the larger number of Suleiman's band, he seized the smalle